Free Databases to Use on Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com has a wonderful and varied collection of databases to assist in your family history research. Many are available through their subscription plan. However, there are many great databases you can use that are FREE, any time.
Go to the site and scroll down and in alphabetical order is the listing of those free databases from Ancestry.com.
Some examples, if you needed the vital records for the western portion of New York from 1809-1850, there is a free index in which to search. Or you thought an ancestor might have been a convict in an Alabama prison, check the death record of state convicts in Alabama from 1843-1951, plus Alabama Convict records for 1886-1952.
A good database if ancestors lived in Beaver County, PA is the tax records for there from 1832-1925. For Canada there is the World War 2 service files of those who died serving with Canada from 1939-1947. Delaware is an old state and former British colony, using Land Records for Delaware from 1677-1947 could provide some new leads.
Cemetery records for cemeteries in Fairbanks, Alaska would be great and those are free. Passports for Jew escaping Germany during World War 2 are in databases titled Germany, passports for Jew 1938-1941. There is the Jewish Soldiers – Prisoners of War Registration Cards for Poland covering 1939 to 1945.
Here is an interesting database. It is the Motion Picture Studio Directories for 1919 and 1921. If an ancestor worked in any form for those early silent movies, their name might be listed.
If an ancestor arrived at Ellis Island, some 2,000 oral histories were collected during the early 1970s of those who arrived earlier. It was in the form of a questionnaire covering occupations, their ship experience, the processing done at Ellis Island and how it was to adjust to life in America. If you find such an oral history that will be a treasure. This database covers 1892-1976.
From Scotland are nursing applications covering 1921 to 1945. Then in Tennessee the early land registers covering 1778 to 1927 or search if you ever had an ancestor who was the postmaster for a post office in the U.S. Between 1832-1971. You might be in for a surprise there.
So look over the long list and check them out to make a new discovery.
Photos: Land registry for Aaron Franklin in Tennessee for Dec. 1824; and the appointment of postmasters in the U.S. From 1832 to 1971.
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